Stress-Free (!) Shopping at Vroman’s

Oh yes, there are books galore at Vroman's, but also gifts of many kinds, from toys to totes.

You may not be hearing those sleigh bells jingling just yet, but if you don’t want to driven insane by the jingling in the final days before Christmas, consider Saturday’s Stressless Soiree at Vroman’s. It’s a new kind of event for the San Gabriel Valley’s literary hub: You pony up $45, and here’s what you get:

— Appetizers at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine across the street
— A 20% discount on everything in the store
— A $20 gift card for Roy’s (which, by the way, has a great happy hour)
— A raffle for a $200 gift basket
— Gift-idea presentations by head book buyer Sherri Gallentine and a wine expert from Heritage Wine Company
— A talk with hometown author and Edgar Award winner Naomi Hirahara, author of the new book Blood Hina
— Personal-shopping services from the staff
— They’ll wrap all your gifts for free and ship them to your house, also at no charge